Chapter V.

As to the words of St. Peter to Simon Magus, from which
the Novatians infer that there was no forgiveness for the latter, it is
pointed out that St. Peter, knowing his evil heart, might well use
words of doubt, and then by some Old Testament instances it is pointed
out that “perchance” does not exclude forgiveness.
The apostles transmitted to us that penitence, the fruits of which are
shown in the case of David. St. Ambrose then adduces the example
of the Ephraimites, whose penitence must be followed in order to gain
the divine mercy and the sacraments.

29. The Novatians
bring up a question from the words of the Apostle Peter. Because
he said, “if perchance,” they think that he did not imply
that forgiveness would be granted on repentance. But let them
consider concerning whom the words were spoken: of Simon, who did
not believe through faith, but was meditating trickery. So too
the Lord to him who said, “Lord, I will follow Thee withersoever
Thou goest,” replied, “Foxes have holes.”30863086 S. Matt. viii. 19, 20. For He knew that the man’s
sincerity was not wholly perfect. If, then, the Lord refused to
him who was not baptized permission to follow Him, because He saw that
he was not sincere, do you wonder that the Apostle did not absolve him
who after baptism was guilty of deceit, and whom he declared to be
still in the bond of iniquity?

30. But let this be my answer to them.
As to myself, I say that Peter did not doubt, and I do not think that
so great a question can be burked by the questionable interpretation of
a single word. For if they think that Peter doubted, did God
doubt, Who said to the prophet Jeremiah: “Stand in the
court of the Lord’s house, and thou shalt give an answer to all
Judah, to those who come to worship in the Lord’s house, even all
the words which I have appointed for thee to answer them. Keep
not back a word, perchance they will hearken and be
converted.”30873087Jer. xxvi. 2, 3. Let
them say, then, that God also knew not what would happen.

31. But ignorance is not implied in that
word, but the common custom of holy Scripture is observed, in order to
simplicity of utterance. Inasmuch as the Lord says also to
Ezekiel: “Son of man, I will send thee unto the house of
Israel, to those who have angered Me, both themselves and their
fathers, unto this day, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the
Lord, if perchance they will hear and be afraid.”30883088Ezek. ii. 4, 5. Did He not know that they could
or could not be converted? So, then, that expression is not
always a proof of doubt.

32. Lastly, the wise men of this world, who
stake all their reputation on expressions and words, do not everywhere
use the Latin word forte, “perchance,” or its Greek
equivalent τάχα, as an expression of
doubt. And so they say that their earliest poet used the
words,

…ἦ
῾ τάχα
χήρη

…ἔσομαι,

which is, “I shall soon be a widow;” and the
passage goes on:

… τάχα γάρ σε
κατακνέουσιν
᾽Αχαιοὶ

πάντες
εφορμηθέντες.30893089 Hom.
Il. III. 408. St. Ambrose is hardly right in assuming that
Homer used τάχα with the sense of
“perchance,” though this is common in later Greek. In
Homer it means quickly.

But he had no doubt that when all were Joining in the attack one
might well be laid low by all.

33. But let us use our own instances rather
than foreign ones. You find in the Gospel that the Son Himself
says of the Father (when He had sent His servants to His vineyard, and
they had been slain), that the Father said, “I will send My
well-beloved Son, perchance they will reverence Him.”30903090 S. Matt. xxi. 37. And in another place the Son says of
Himself: “Ye know neither Me nor My Father; for if ye knew
Me, ye would perchance know My Father also.”30913091 S. John viii. 19.

34. If, then, Peter used those words which were
used by God without any prejudice to His knowledge, why should we not
assume that Peter also used them without prejudice to his belief?
For he could not doubt concerning the gift of Christ, Who had given him
the power of forgiving sins; especially
350since he was bound not to leave any place for
the craftiness of heretics who desire to deprive men of hope, in order
the more easily to insinuate into the despairing their opinion as to
the reiteration of baptism.

35. But the apostles, having this baptism
according to the direction of Christ, taught repentance, promised
forgiveness, and remitted guilt, as David taught when he said:
“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose
sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not
imputed sin.”30923092Ps. xxxii.
[xxxi.] 1, 2. He calls
each blessed, both him whose sins are remitted by the font, and him
whose sin is covered by good works. For he who repents ought not
only to wash away his sin by his tears, but also to cover and hide his
former transgressions by amended deeds, that sin may not be imputed to
him.

36. Let us, then, cover our falls by our
subsequent acts; let us purify ourselves by tears, that the Lord our
God may hear us when we lament, as He heard Ephraim when weeping, as it
is written: “I have surely heard Ephraim
weeping.”30933093Jer. xxxi. 18. And He
expressly repeats the very words of Ephraim: “Thou hast
chastised me and I was chastised, like a calf I was not
trained.”30943094Jer. xxxi. 18. For a calf
disports itself, and leaves its stall, and so Ephraim was untrained
like a calf far away from the stall; because he had forsaken the stall
of the Lord, followed Jeroboam,30953095Ecclus. xlvii. 23. and
worshipped the calves, which future event was prophetically indicated
through Aaron,30963096Ex. xxxi. namely, that the
people of the Jews would fall after this manner. And so
repenting, Ephraim says: “Turn Thou me, and I shall be
turned, for Thou art the Lord my God. Surely in the end of my
captivity I repented, and after I learned I mourned over the days of
confusion, and subjected myself to Thee because I received reproach and
made Thee known.”30973097Jer. xxxi. 19 [very loosely].

37. We see how to repent, with what words and with
what acts, that the days of sin are called “days of
confusion;” for there is confusion when Christ is denied.

38. Let us, then, submit ourselves to God,
and not be subject to sin, and when we ponder the remembrance of our
offences, let us blush as though at some disgrace, and not speak of
them as a glory to us, as some boast of overcoming modesty, or putting
down the feeling of justice. Let our conversion be such, that we
who did not know God may now ourselves declare Him to others, that the
Lord, moved by such a conversion on our part, may answer to us:
“Ephraim is from youth a dear son, a pleasant child, for since My
words are concerning him, I will verily remember him, therefore have I
hastened to be over him; I will surely have mercy on him, saith the
Lord.”30983098Jer. xxxi.
[LXX.] 20.

39. And what mercy He promises us, the Lord
also shows, when He says further on: “I have satiated every
thirsty soul, and have satisfied every hungry soul. Therefore, I
awaked and beheld, and My sleep was sweet unto Me.”30993099Jer. xxxi. 25, 26. We observe that the Lord promises
His sacraments to those who sin. Let us, then, all be converted
to the Lord.